The hearing before the NH Legislative Ethics Committee is today at 1:30 pm in Room 104 of the Legislative Office Building. This is my brief testimony before the Committee (I only have a scant few minutes to speak).
It is lightly edited here for formatting (blogging is not the same as giving a speech). Note: The first two Reps waived their Confidentiality so that I can reference them by name; the third has not (the Jane/John Doe).
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen of the NH Legislative Ethics Committee.
Let me start with this abstracted quote from Cdr. Salamander (a retired Naval Officer) lamenting about the sad state of affairs the country is in; I thought it apt (lightly edited) as it summarizes much of what this hearing is about:
Abandonment
If there is a characteristic of the last few years; it is abandonment. Abandonment, either of duties, friends, families, or of principles, was once seen as a disgrace and a blight on one’s honor. Now? I don’t think so.
We abandoned thousands, really tens of thousands, of American citizens, family members, and allies in Afghanistan. Recently we abandoned almost as many in Sudan.
After a news cycle or two, the press loses interest. Our politicians – or at least most of them – move on.
The fault is not so much our government or civil society, but really, it is all of us; our fault.
We allow this abandonment – this disregard for ethics, this amoral failure of responsibility to protect and honor our word – to stand up for unwritten agreements.
Abandonment breaks the bonds of stewardship that binds a society together.
We fail the fundamentals – and then wonder why we cannot execute anything effectively. We shrug at dishonor, and then wonder where the quality of civil society went.
No one in power is challenged. No one is held accountable … unless it fits a certain agenda.
Let me add to that: abandonment of honor, of courage, of loyalty, of honesty, of duty, of promises…and of oaths that are the embodiment of all of those attributes, and more.
Oaths seemingly mean nothing nowadays; they are merely a string of words that are mandatory to say in order to assume the seat that We, the People, have put our elected Representatives—a mere formality never to be referenced again by those saying it. I have watched many ignore those words already.
I’m betting that many who say the words now could easily be convinced that they could be abandoned, cast aside, just as easily as they say that the Constitution is ancient and meant for a time that no longer exists (btw, I happen to heartily disagree with that notion). It does seem that many certainly forget their oaths as soon as it is said. Why?
It would remove what an oath by elected representatives is supposed to culminate in:
Accountability.
The promise and plea to constituents – “hold me responsible to my promise to you, my oath to you, at ALL times”.
That is the summary of why I brought these complaints – this old-fashioned belief that such things should matter but to others, just as quaint as a stroll in a park in Victorian finery.
In all three complaints, who is willing to hold them accountable to their promises to faithfully adhere to the plain black-and-white text of the written Law and demonstrate fealty to the Law not just in action but as a matter of the heart?
Sadly, there has been no mass uprising – apathy and lack of knowledge/awareness reign. However, I hope that once again, here in New Hampshire, one person can be that difference.
Sadly, all three abandoned the oaths and promises to strictly Follow the Law. They willingly broke their oaths to us all. Worse, they broke the Trust that we expect. We should not, cannot, adopt a lesser standard of measure for them simply because “well, it’s politics” – the bigotry of low expectations from those that are supposed to be Servant Leaders.
Yet, that is what they have done.
In each complaint, I have provided both the several violations and examples thereof. While they are summary in form, I can tell you that far more supporting detail is available on GraniteGrok. Videos were often embedded in those posts showing their actions and words as acts of accountability; you can hear their own words and watch their own actions without me being a filter.
There are also additional videos backing up these assertions on the GraniteGrok YouTube Channel. Full recordings of Delegation meetings (with one notable Budget Subcommittee exception) are also on Belknap County’s Video On Demand / Lakes Region Public Access.
Good government is one that is open and transparent and whose procedures can be known and followed by the Public. We in NH deserve nothing less – but that is what occurred. In NH, the latter is proscribed in statute – it is lost when the Law is ignored.
All three Representatives were warned by more experienced ones and others (like me) that they were in the wrong. They willfully disregarded the Laws that proscribe the mandatory actions expected of them. This should not, CAN not, be tolerated.
In reviewing each complaint, I ask that the Committee either remove them from office for such blatant disregard to their oaths in:
…faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all duties incumbent on me as STATE REPRESENTATIVE according to the best of my abilities, agreeably to the rules and regulations of this constitution and laws of the state of New Hampshire.”
They decided to fail.
Failing to come to such a conclusion of removal, I ask that you advance a censor finding. In the positions of leadership they sought comes the responsibility to study, learn, and inculcate such laws that govern them. They ignored them.
I know that as an SB2 Budget Committee member, once elected, I made sure to study all the Laws governing Budget Committees as well as Municipal budgets, School District, and Water District budget processes.
If I held myself to such a high standard to show good faith to those that voted for me, shouldn’t I then be able to hold my elected Representatives to that same standard with respect to the Delegation (RSA 91-A and RSA 24:9-c,d)?
That is, simply, to “Follow the Law”?
Thank you for your service and time in protecting the reputation and dignity of the NH Legislature.
Is there any question that I can answer at this time?
